In this podcast, PebblePost’s VP of Marketing, Celeste Giampetro, talks with Dave about the importance of defining a good mission statement, why Marketing needs more generalists than specialists now, how to develop cross-functional teams, and leading with vulnerability. During the conversation, they also spent time discussing different leadership techniques that will help you get the most out of your team.

SHOW NOTES

00:08 Podcast TLDR
01:44 Podcast Begins
02:11 Some background on Pebble Post and Celeste’s role there
03:31 Is having a mission statement or vision statement important?
04:03 What problem is Pebble Post solving and how are they solving it?
09:43 Why marketers need to focus on being more generalized than specialized.
11:49 When are you done being a startup?
12:58 How we ended up with so much specialization in the first place
13:48 How do you determine if your generalist actually has the focused skills you need.
15:09 How to find people who want to grow and then to mentor them
16:03 Leading with vulnerability and transparency
18:10 What value does a manager get from leading with vulnerability
19:42 An example of how leading with vulnerability and transparency backfired
20:31 The benefits of giving up the control and power; and how it can have a very positive impact on the organization
22:00 Making sure everyone knows the Mission and Vision Statement
22:18 Introducing cross-functionality into your team
24:08 Do Gen X and Millennials approach collaboration and cross-functionality differently?
25:18 What is the key to motivating people? “Can you extract from them their best work?”
27:07 The importance of learning about the people on your team before you start trying to direct their behavior.
28:07 On Managing people - “It’s al about relationship building”
28:55 Agile at PebblePost
30:32 Getting in touch with Celeste

There are lots of podcasts about Agile out there and each of them has something valuable to offer to the community. But a few weeks ago, a new kind of Agile podcast launched. John Le Drew is the creator of “The Agile Path”, a long form NPR style podcast… (think Serial for Agile). In this interview, John shares the story of how he ended up working on the podcast, what it was like creating it, some of his current projects as well as details about the process he follows in creating the podcasts and his favorite gear.

If you are interested in podcasting, block out some time for this one, there is a lot of valuable stuff in here.

SHOW NOTES

00:01 Podcast Intro
00:52 Interview begins
01:19 John’s journey from whizkid geek hooligan to developer to Agile coach/podcaster
10:29 What inspired John to create The Agile Path and the sources that influenced his approach
11:45 Creating the soundscape for listeners
14:15 Finding the right music and getting permission to use it in a very bold way
17:53 The benefits of overcoming the fear of approaching people on your bookshelf
19:57 We should all strive to bring out our inner Woody
20:25 John’s editing process and the work he’s doing on future episodes
22:05 How John is integrating improv in his upcoming workshops and why that is relevant to the topic of safety
25:51 Dave asks John a question about how safety works in improv classes and how “Yes and…” is about accepting what comes to you without judgement and building on it
29:40 Imagine it like a sieve… find the gold
31:09 Paying attention and what that really means
34:28 Scripting it all out, then editing
39:18 Work on the next episode and the schedule John is aiming for
40:29 John’s favorite recording equipment
45:05 Wrapping Up

Lisa Hershman At SG2017 - Scaling, Certification Changes and Top Initiatives at the Scrum Alliance

Scrum Alliance Interim CEO Lisa Hershman shared some time at the 2017 Scrum Gathering in San Diego to talk about the top initiatives being worked on at the Scrum Alliance, including their partnership with Large Scale Scrum, changes to the certification programs and more.

The Trust Artist, Olaf Lewitz, along with his partner, Christine Neidhardt, are gearing ready for their upcoming TrustTemenos Certified Agile Leadership trainings. Certified Agile Leadership trainings are a new, advanced level of training classes being offered through the Scrum Alliance. In this interview Olaf and I discuss the reason for his TrustTemenos CAL class, how it can help people become better Agile leaders, and the value of Certified Agile Leadership.

Safety is a very hot topic in the Agile space right now. During our conversation about safety, Olaf shared one of the most powerful things I have heard during an interview this year:

“When you talk to people about trust, it rises. When you talk to people about safety, they get scared.”

Every conversation I have with Olaf leaves me more aware and (I hope) a bit smarter than I was when it began. I hope you will get as much value from listening to this as I did from recording the conversation.

And you can find links to Olaf’s upcoming classes and events, as well as his contact info, below the show notes.

Show Notes

00:07 Podcast Intro

01:27 Begins

01:57 An overview of Agile Leadership Training

04:48 A skeptical response to the idea of Agile Leadership Training and Olaf’s response

07:16 Developing a thinking model to understand what we need and how that drives our actions

09:11 The power of metaphor in leadership and Dave’s aversion to boats

11:03 Giving people tools to grow their awareness of how they show up

11:34 These classes cover advanced leadership topics - not the basics

12:16 “If you trust in yourself… you will still get beaten by people”

13:05 Skepticism is an important part of any class and any transition

13:32 It’s about being intentional and aware

15:23 There is a specific type of learning that involves being uncomfortable because what you believe is challenged

15:57 Extending the question of leadership beyond work and helping them understand more about their awareness and intention

17:00 Olaf shares a story about his first experience working as a boss

21:29 The advice Olaf about give his 29 year-old self about being a boss for the firs time

22:23 It’s okay to ask for help

24:05 A question about safety and what it means to create a safe space

25:42 When you talk to people about trust, it rises, when you talk to people about safety, they get scared

27:22 What is Certified Agile Leadership Training? What level of knowledge experience do you need to attend?

28:08 What will CAL training do for a leader/manager in an Agile organization?

29:28 Where to learn more about Olaf’s upcoming classes, where you can see him speak and how to get in touch with him if you have questions.

Olaf’s session at the 2017 Scrum Gathering San Diego is called: Product Owner: Mapping Dramas and Dreams and it will be held in the Harbor Island 1 room on Monday, April 10 from 1 PM until 2:15 PM For more info on the Scrum Gathering: https://www.scrumalliance.org/sgcal

A few weeks ago Don Kim put up a blog post challenging the value of certifications. I reached out to Don in hopes of doing an interview about it and found out he’s also written a new book “I think Therefore I Plan”. In this interview we discuss the pros and cons of different certifications, taking an artisan approach to managing projects as well as Don’s new book.